The Descriptions and Attitudes of Riders and Arena Owners to 656 Equestrian Sport Surfaces in Sweden

Horses in equestrian sports are commonly trained in arenas with prepared footing. Information on the number and variants of such arenas is generally unknown. This paper provides an overview of the primary construction types of riding surfaces in Sweden including details on composition, constructions principles, usage frequency, maintenance, and cost of operation as well as to investigate rider perception of the ideal arena properties using a large population of riders. Data on 656 equestrian surfaces in Sweden obtained up to 2014 are presented, of which 373 were outdoor and 283 were indoor arenas. Dressage and show-jumping were the main disciplines conducted in the arenas. Sand-mineral arenas were most common outdoors and sand-woodchips arenas most common indoors, followed by sand-fibre arenas and even fewer synthetic arenas. Comparing the three most common arena types, dragging was most often done on sand-woodchips and sand-fibre arenas. Harrowing was less often done on sand-mineral arenas compared to sand-woodchips and sand-fibre arenas. Combining dragging, harrowing, deep harrowing, and rolling, arenas with higher usage were maintained more frequently, compared to those used less frequently. It was commonly claimed that the top-layer needs renovation every other-4th year or every 5th to 10th year. Few respondents allocated more than 10,000 SEK in yearly maintenance costs, with the exception for sand-woodchips and sand-fibre arenas followed by synthetic arenas. The shortest duration perceived between required renovations was found for sand-woodchips top-layer arenas. Ideal surface properties were evaluated by 3,158 riders. Dressage and show-jumping riders differed somewhat regarding ideal spans of functional arena properties: for impact firmness, responsiveness, and grip. The current study likely included well-utilised arenas, compared to those less well-utilised. The resources necessary to keep an arena consistent over time seemed underestimated. Knowledge of maintenance and priorities for arenas are important to users and arenas managers, be they construction companies or arena managers in order to maximise the outcome of efforts for arena improvement and optimise locomotor health for horses that use them. Further, many arenas were new and research into organic arena management is important, especially if equestrians continue to build and renew arena surfaces.

How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport

The international governing body for equestrian sports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), states that the welfare of the horse must be paramount and never subordinated to competitive or commercial influences. However, there is growing unease about welfare issues from both within and outside the sport. The aim of this study was to understand stakeholder perceptions of current welfare issues within equestrian sport, determine whether there is scope for change, and explore attitudes towards welfare assessment. Participants (n = 48) from equestrian sport (n = 38) and animal welfare research (n = 10) attended a workshop that included welfare-related presentations and focus group sessions. The focus group sessions were recorded, anonymised and analysed using thematic analysis. Conflict between the demands of competition and the needs of the horse was identified as a key welfare challenge. Although the physical health of equine athletes is closely monitored, horses’ psychological needs are sometimes overlooked. Participants recognised that improving competition practices may not be as impactful as improving the general management and training of horses. The term “quality of life” was considered preferable to “welfare”, which had negative connotations. Participants appreciated the idea of incorporating formal welfare assessments into their training and competition plans but stated that existing tools are rarely used and are not deemed feasible for real-life conditions.

Guidelines for the Measurement of Rein Tension in Equestrian Sport

Rein tension is relatively easy to measure, and the resulting data are useful for evaluating the interaction between horse and rider. To date, there have been a number of studies using different transducers, calibration methods and analytical techniques. The purpose of this paper is to make recommendations regarding the collection, analysis and reporting of rein tension data. The goal is to assist users in selecting appropriate equipment, choosing verified methods of calibration, data collection and analysis, and reporting their results consistently to facilitate comparisons between different studies. Sensors should have a suitable range and resolution together with a fast enough dynamic response, according to the gait, speed and type of riding for which they will be used. An appropriate calibration procedure is necessary before each recording session. A recording frequency of 50 Hz is adequate for most rein tension studies. The data may be analyzed using time-series methods or by extracting and analyzing discrete variables chosen in accordance with the study objectives. Consistent reporting facilitates comparisons between studies.

O rural civilizado: a experiência do hipismo no Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube (Rio de Janeiro; 1940-1957) = El rural civilizado: La experiencia de la hípica en el Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube (Rio de Janeiro; 1940-1957) = The civilized rural: The equestrian experience of Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube (Rio de Janeiro; 1940-1957)

ResumoFundado em 1939, o Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube foi uma das únicas agremiações dos subúrbios cariocas a ter uma equipe de hipismo, modalidade usualmente praticada por gente de estrato socioeconômico alto. Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir essa experiência esportiva considerando que as iniciativas associativas são relevantes indicadores dos processos de urbanização, conformação de identidades e constituição do território. Adotou-se o recorte temporal de 1941 a 1957, período em que a equitação existiu no clube investigado. Como fontes, foram utilizados revistas e jornais publicados no Rio de Janeiro. Ao final, conclui-se que o incentivo ao esporte equestre foi mobilizado no sentido de forjar uma boa imagem para o clube, o apresentando como expressão do rural civilizado que caracterizaria o bairro. ResumenFundado en 1939, Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube fue uno de los únicos clubes de los suburbios de Río de Janeiro que contó con un equipo de hípica, modalidad que habitualmente practican personas de alto nivel socioeconómico. Este artículo tiene el objetivo de discutir, desde su repercusión pública, la experiencia de esta sociedad deportiva considerando que las iniciativas asociativas son indicadores relevantes de los procesos de urbanización, conformación de identidades y producción del espacio. Se adoptó el marco temporal de 1941 a 1957, período en el que existía la equitación en el club investigado. Como fuentes se utilizaron principalmente revistas y periódicos publicados en Río de Janeiro. Al final, se concluye que el incentivo al deporte ecuestre se movilizó con el fin de forjar una buena imagen para el club, presentándolo como una expresión de lo rural civilizado que caracterizaría al barrio. AbstractFounded in 1939, Jacarepaguá Tênis Clube was one of the only clubs in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro that had a team of horse riding, a sport usually practiced by people from high socioeconomic strata. This article aims to discuss, from its public repercussion, the experience of this sports society considering that associative initiatives are important indicators of processes of the urbanization, formation of identities and space production. The time frame from 1941 to 1957 was adopted, a period in which horse riding existed in the investigated club. As sources, they were used mostly magazines and newspapers published in Rio de Janeiro. It is concluded that the incentive to equestrian sport was mobilized in order to build a good image for the club, presenting it as an expression of the civilized rural that would characterize the neighbourhood.

An Ethical Framework for the Use of Horses in Competitive Sport: Theory and Function

Growing ethical concern about equestrian sport is reflected in publications by regulatory authorities, animal charities, and the lay press; and in government debate and social media. However, attempts by regulators and stakeholders to address ethical issues in equine sport have been discipline specific and ad hoc. Ethical frameworks can help stakeholders to make contextual decisions about what should or should not be done in a particular situation. However, when existing animal welfare frameworks and existing sports ethics frameworks are reviewed in this paper, it becomes clear that none provide us with a suitable or sufficient tool for considering ethical issues which can arise in situations where the athlete is a non-human, non-consenting participant. This paper presents the theoretical development of a novel ethical framework, with the aim of providing stakeholders with a tool which they might apply to the consideration of the ethical questions which inevitably arise in relation to (equestrian) sport. The derivation and limitations of the ethical framework are explained. The use of the framework will serve both to underwrite the continuation of the social license to use horses in sport and also to enable those within equestrian sport to critically assess existing and proposed practices and to make welfare-improving adjustments to practice if/where necessary. The theoretical framework as presented here is currently being practically tested and refined in consultation with industry stakeholders, and that research will be submitted for publication in due course.

Symbiosis or Sporting Tool? Competition and the Horse–Rider Relationship in Elite Equestrian Sports

The horse–rider relationship is fundamental to ethical equestrianism wherein equine health and welfare are prioritized as core dimensions of sporting success. Equestrianism represents a unique and important form of interspecies activity in which relationships are commonly idealized as central to sporting performance but have been largely unexplored in the sport psychology literature. Horse–rider relationships warrant particular consideration in the elite sporting context, given the tension between constructions of “partnership” between horse and rider, and the pragmatic pressures of elite sport on horse and rider and their relationship. The current study examined the link between sporting performance and the horse–rider relationship in an elite equestrian sporting context. Thirty-six international elite riders from eight countries and six equestrian disciplines participated in a single in-depth interview. A social constructionist, grounded theory methodology was used to analyze this data. The horse–rider relationship was positioned in three different ways in relation to elite sporting outcomes: as pivotal to success; non-essential to success; or as antithetical to success. Participants shifted between these positions, expressing nuanced, ambivalent attitudes that reflected their sporting discipline and their personal orientation to equestrianism. Competitive success was also defined in fluid terms, with participants differentiating between intrinsic and extrinsic markers of success. These findings suggest a complex and multifaceted connection between interspecies performance and relationships in elite sport. Where strong horse–rider relationships are antithetical to performance, a threat to the welfare and ethics of equestrian sport exists. Relevant sporting governing bodies must attend to this problem to ensure the centrality of animal welfare, wellbeing, and performance longevity to equestrian sports.

Social Media Influencers in Equestrian Sport

The study analyzes and explains the impact of social media influencers on stable cultures in Sweden and Norway, contributing to the understanding of the complex relationship between equestrian sports and social media—a relationship that is important for the welfare of horses. Since equestrianism is one of the most popular sports in Sweden and Norway, influencers' social media communication greatly impacts followers' perception of the human-animal relationship. Despite the popularity of equestrian sports, studies thereof are rare, and research combining equestrian sports and social media is almost non-existent, making this study important and relevant. The analysis focuses on the six biggest equestrian influencers in Sweden and Norway and their social media accounts. Goffman's (1967) micro-sociological perspectives, alongside previous research on social media, are used to discuss knowledge exchange, co-creation of authenticity and intimacy and sponsorship and advertisement. The influencers mainly focus their communication on horse-related issues, and their (and their followers) love of horses create the intimacy needed as a base for other messages (perceived knowledge and advertisement). The intimacy and authenticity are strengthened in the interaction between followers and influencers, and the latter receive positive feedback for their way of handling their horses' lives. The expressive order of stable culture(s) is seldom questioned and the acceptance of this order is likely to make the commercial endorsements less visible and more convincing.

SHORT­TERM TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE PREPARATION PERIOD IN THE ENDURANCE DISCIPLINE OF EQUESTRIAN SPORT

ABSTRACT The competitive pairs of horse and rider in the endurance discipline of equestrian sport in Bulgaria have ranked, in the past several years, among the elite contestants in Europe and the world, which has necessitated deeper studies in the areas of training methods and the ways of achieving high sport results. Therefore, this study is focused on 6 Bulgarian horses (Arabian horse and Shagya, Table 1) that are preparing for European and World championships. They were trained together under the same conditions (climate, time zone, terrain, speed) by riders with the necessary qualifications and experience. Seven training rides were performed, and the pulse was measured at the moment of the highest load, as it is the most indicative of the horse’s level of effort. By studying the pulse of horses during a training session, the research aimed to determine the efficacy of the short-term training program in the prep season. The results showed that 2 to 4 minutes after coming to a full stop, regardless of the terrain, speed (in this research between 5.2 km/h and 22.5 km/h) or distance traveled by the horses, their pulse varied between 36 and 99 bpm (beats per minute) and they improved their physical condition and increased their stamina without this leading to trauma or more serious injuries, which is a main priority in the equestrian sport and allows for the successful completion of every race. In the long run, such a training methodology will allow the horses to be trained and ready to race at any time. Monitoring the heart rate and keeping it within the studied limits showed that this was the optimal option for a training regime for the six examined horses. In the situation with the COVID19 pandemic, this is a possible solution for maintaining athletic fitness in endurance horses.